Blank Space
by Lost By Words
Summary: Love is a game to Ana. She's had too many failed relationships to think of it as anything but. So when she meets a grey-eyed brooding stranger, she waits for it to fail just as the rest do. But perhaps he will change her mind, or perhaps he's hiding his own secrets that she wants no part of? However, there is always another blank space for another name. (Eventual M)
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hey all! Here is a little story I've been working on for a bit. I was really inspired by Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" because I just thought it described Ana and Christian beautifully. So, to make this work I took Ana OOC and I changed a few little details from canon. Also, I chose to write it in third person because I'm just so much more comfortable in third person and I'm also just experimenting a bit with writing styles. So..._

_I was going to upload this last night, but last second I realized that this is probably a really stupid plot actually. And I really debated whether anyone would like it. Well, it's my first long Ana/Christian fic, so I guess if it's terrible…oh well. But if anyone agrees that all this is stupid, I'm open to criticism in a respectful way. You know, like a compliment sandwich. Say something nice, say something bad, then finish it up strong. Hahah. Anyway, I'm still learning as a writer so…I'm always looking for ways to improve. _

_Enough of my blabbing. Let me know what you think of this before I chicken out again and decide not to post it._

_I don't own anything._

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><p><strong>Blank Space<strong>

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><p>Preface:<p>

My mother always told me: "When you're sad and you don't want to talk about it, write about it." She handed me a blank notebook with a pink flower on the cover and a black ballpoint pen. I was thirteen years old and starting notebook number one. Somehow, I managed to be twenty-one starting notebook number thirty-seven.

I have filled every inch of those notebooks. Black ink scrawled across white pages, holding every thought, every hurt, and every emotion I never wanted to share. My life is written in those pages through poems, lyrics, entries, euphemisms, saying everything that never made it to my lips. I wrote until my hand hurt, until it trembled, until my fingers held indentations from the pen, and until the very void in my heart stopped aching - only then would I stop writing.

I guess you can say that that is how I found my love of writing, this is why I chose to pursue a career in English and this is why I wanted to be a publisher one day. For the past eight years I have wrote more words than I can count, I have grown up into who I am now, and I have learned the kind of person I want and the kind of person I want to be.

Yet there is always another blank space for another name. And I'll go through every name in this world until I find _him_...

I just never counted on all the heartache along the way.

_._._._

Chapter 1:

She is standing in front of the bathroom mirror applying the last coat of lip gloss over her bright cherry red lips. She smooches her lips together and then smirks to herself before heading out of the bathroom.

It is a typical Friday night, however the one thing untypical about this Friday night is Brodie. Yes, Brodie Lemmon. No, not even kidding. That's his name. Only make sure you spell Lemmon with two M's otherwise, he will make a point to correct you.

It was three days ago to be exact, Ana was getting coffee at one particular Starbucks not too far from her Seattle apartment when she saw this very attractive worker serving coffee.

Having guys look at her was nothing new to Ana - in fact, she knew that all too well. Guys loved exactly what she was; put together, hair combed nicely, soft curls, simple but classy make-up. Her dark hair, crystal blue eyes and alabaster skin made every head turn when she entered a room. And let's be honest, Ana loved this. She didn't mind the attention, it gave her confidence it made her feel good.

But lest she wear make-up to run to the store, or throw her hair in a sloppy bun for the afternoon, and not a single head would turn. And those were the days she remembered how ugly she actually was - her confidence would fall and all she would want to do is wallow in self-pity for the next fifty years. Yet, this was just the language of men, and she new this all too well. Her mother always made a point to remind her of inner beauty.

"The right man will see the real you. He will love you no matter what you look like. Because inside your heart is where the real beauty lies."

Her mother's words were true. Ana always remembered them, but she was yet to find a man who loved her inside and out - just as her mother said.

So as she gazed over at this incredible stranger in the Starbucks, Ana couldn't help but stare. He was the epitome of perfection, with his own crooked smile to accompany his chiseled features. She made a point to flirt, bat her long eyelashes, and overly thank him for her coffee. But as she had expected the Mr. Perfect Coffee Guy to write his number in delicate Sharpie across the back of her coffee cup...he didn't. Yup, he handed her the blank cup with her coffee in it and just a friendly smile. You may have been expecting Mr. Perfect Coffee Guy to be Brodie Lemmon, but no, we're still getting to that.

So, to say Ana was offended by Mr. Perfect Coffee Guy would be an understatement. But she did have half a mind to walk out of Starbucks, head down, fast pace and now utterly embarrassed with whatever remained of her dignity. But as she was jogging out, a "bumbling" dirty blonde collided into her, spilling her coffee to the ground. He apologized profusely and insisted on buying her a new one. Well, Ana wasn't going to pass this up - a free coffee and a chance to show Mr. Perfect Coffee Guy just what he missed out on - and so she let him. He asked if he could walk with her once he got his drink and she had hers. So, they did.

As they walked, he revealed his name to be _the_ Brodie Lemmon - as you've heard so much about.

"Lemmon," he said, producing a hand to shake. "Brodie Lemmon," he clarified, his cool demeanor now completely disintegrated. "That's my name. I'm not just saying Lemmon cause I like to talk about lemons. No, it's my last name. But not like lemons that you use for lemonade, this one has two M's."

This guy was cute - disgustingly cute. She hated him and loved him all at once. She was a bit amused by his rambling and so yeah, why wouldn't she give him a try? What was one more boy to add to the collection? What was one more name to write about?

"So Lemmon?" she had said to him and then, suddenly feeling a bit brazen, she added: "So you must have sex a lot then?"

He stopped walking and looked back at her, stunned and wholly shocked.

She just smirked and continued walking. "I take it you never read fanfiction in your teenage years then…" The whole conversation went right over his head as he stood there with a empty expression written all over his face, so Ana filled in the awkward silence by smiling shyly as she looked to the ground. "I'm Ana. Ana Steele. But not like when you steal something, but like the metal. Except, this one has two E's and then an E at the end."

And this was the beginning of what would be another relationship for the Miss Anastasia Steele.

As they parted ways and exchanged numbers, precisely ten minutes went by and Ana received a text from Brodie:

_*I'm glad I bumped into you. Even if it may have been planned. ;)*_

She couldn't help the smile that crept up on her face as she read it over. Yeah, he was disgustingly cute alright.

So that leads us to Friday night now. She is about to head out the apartment door, thinking she can get by her roommate without having to deal with her over-questioning about another one of Ana's dates. But of course she is never that lucky.

"Now wait," Kate scolds as she barricades herself in front of the door, blocking Ana's exit completely. Ana can only roll her eyes at her roommate with a bemused smirk playing on her lips. "Ethan called. You have to call him back. You can't avoid my brother forever, Ana."

"I'll get to it," she decides, giving Kate a positive nod and she looks to the door, ready to make a break for it.

"No, you won't," Kate continues. "I know you. But it doesn't matter, Ethan is coming to visit at the end of this month, so you'll have to see him whether you like it or not."

"Alright, alright. I'll deal with that at the end of the month then, but please, Kate. I'm late now and Brodie is downstairs waiting for me."

Kate rolls her head on her shoulders and steps to the side. "Okay, but remember to call me at the first sign of trouble okay? I'll be right there if you need me."

"Thank you," Ana says with a small smile before she opens the door and walks out of the apartment. She pauses in the open doorway, stopping and looking back to her roommate. "I'm just hoping that maybe this one can last until date three."

"Hey, maybe Brodie will be your first," she winks.

"Not on the first date, Kate. But nice try."

"Well, you never know...I won't wait up if you don't come home."

With one last eye roll, Ana shuts the door behind her. She is a bundle of nerves as she heads to meet Brodie, constantly fiddling with her fingers and chewing her lip. As she walks out the front doors of the building, she sees Brodie wave from the driver's seat of a blue Honda Civic. He smiles, eyes lighting up as he sees Ana. She almost melts at seeing him in dressed in a black suit accompanied with a black tie. He looks nice, sophisticated, and classy. Yeah, maybe this one won't be so bad. "Hey," he says surprisingly calm as she opens the door and gets in. "You look beautiful. I like your dress."

"Thank you," she responds. She pauses before continuing watching his eyes gaze her up and down like he's appraising her for something. The little motion has her squirming in her seat. "Yeah, I uh...borrowed it from my roommate. She just bought it and it was too nice to sit in the closet, you know. So I took it."

Brodie gives a smirk as he looks to her eyes finally. "Definitely too nice." She wants to vomit at his words and for a split second considers bailing right now - but no, she convinces herself: he might not be all that bad. "So, I got us a reservation at this French restaurant across town - _Trois Trésors_ - or something like that. But uh, don't kill me, but I need to stop at my office first. You can come with me, but, I just forgot to hand in my week's business claims to my boss and if he doesn't get them by tomorrow morning I'm gonna be dead. I'm already on his bad list…"

Ana shrugs. "That's fine. I'd love to see where you work. But…why are you on his bad list?"

Brodie rolls his eye emphatically as he pulls out into traffic. "I don't know. I've been working there two years and it doesn't matter how hard I work, he always gives me the cold shoulder. We joke that he's just a naturally cold guy - and intimidating. I swear he could freeze a glass a water just by taking a sip."

"So he has powers?" she jokes.

"I don't know…maybe?" he smirks back. "Might explain why he's not capable of human emotion."

She chuckles as they continue driving. "So what is it that you do?"

"Oh, I'm an operations manager, so I oversee things in my department. I work on the business side of things. Our company employs about a hundred businesses, and to put it simply, I manage them. Which means looking over business expenses, seeing which one are failing, where we need to improve revenue…blah, blah, it's boring. Lots of numbers and math. But what about you? What do you do?"

"I'm a writer."

"A writer? So am I going to end up in one of your stories…?"

"If you're lucky…or unlucky," she adds quietly.

"Don't know how I feel about that answer."

Ana laughs, tossing her head back. "Then I guess I shouldn't tell you that most people who end up in my stories are unlucky…"

"Oh." His smile falls but not for long. "Well, perhaps you will make an exception for me?"

"We'll see how you do, Mr. Lemmon," she smirks.

"So, have you published anything?" he asks, switching the topic.

"No, I just moved to Seattle a few weeks ago with my roommate after graduation. I've got a few job interviews lined up for publishing houses. I'd like to be an editor and write my own things on the side."

"That sounds nice. Wait, so how old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

His expression falls slightly. "Oh, I thought you were like twenty-four."

"And is it a bad thing that I'm not?"

"Well...no. Just, I don't know. No, it's great. You can drink, so it's all good."

Ana nods along skeptically and lets the silence fall between them. Somehow they end up talking about the weather for much of the duration of the drive. As all things come to an end, Brodie parks the car on a busy side block and motions for Ana to get out and follow him. They walk for a block and then Ana is met with the one and only sign of _Grey Enterprises Holdings._

Her mouth falls open in shock. "You work here?"

"Yup," he says nonchalantly as he leads the way into the building. He is walking so fast, Ana nearly trips over her own feet in an effort to keep pace with him - and in heels, it's surely difficult. He barely manages to catch the elevator for her with a lazy outstretched arm, but she clambers inside, breathing in relief.

"Place should be dead," he announces in the awkward silence. "Everyone should have gone home."

"No worries," she says with a shrug.

He leads the way quickly through huge glass doors, grey colored cubicles, mahogany desks until he stops at a door near the end of the hall.

"This is my office," he states, flashing a broad grin. He doesn't bother to close the door, but instead, leaves it open, the light seeping into the dimly lit hallway.

Ana gazes about the pristine look of it, blue eyes staring up and wide. "It's beautiful."

He doesn't waste time on showing her around as he bustles to his desk and begins pulling out papers from drawers. He is muttering to himself about a missing paper, but Ana is more interested in the view from outside his window.

"Brodie?" a commanding deep voice asks, and suddenly, Brodie's head shoots up from the desk.

"M-Mr. Grey," he flusters. "What are you doing here? I didn't think anyone would be here this late."

"Sometimes I have work to do that requires me to work late. But I don't see how that is any of your concern." His eyes are trained sharply on the brunette still gazing out the window, her attention now peaked as her head slowly turns around. "Now, I don't know what kind of escapades you are running in this office but I don't want‑"

"No, Mr. Grey," Brodie interrupts. "This is my date for this evening." He rubs a hand behind his neck in sudden embarrassment. "We were about to head out t-to...dinner. I, uh, have reservations‑"

"Dinner?"

"Yes, sir."

"So then, what are you doing _here_?" he asks his employee impatiently.

"Well...I forgot to hand in the business claims. I-I didn't want them to be late. I was just going to leave them...on your desk."

Grey's eyes darken wildly and it is only then that Ana turns fully around to look at him. His breath hitches when he finds himself staring into the deepest blue eyes he's ever laid his own steel eyes upon. For a moment, he feels the world stop moving before it shifts back to its intended rotation.

"I see," he says, not missing a beat even if he knows part of his brain just shattered. "Still, I don't appreciate _outside_ relationships interfering _inside_ the workplace." He sighs exasperatedly and infuriatingly. "It appears now that you best go file those claims while I have to stand here and babysit. You better not make me late for _my_ dinner reservations tonight."

Brodie falters, gaping at Grey. "Wait? Now? But...it's after hours‑"

"Well, you should've thought about that before you forgot. Now, go." He swats a hand at Brodie, not even bothering to make eye contact with him as he sets his hard eyes upon Ana, who is standing there statuesque, looking almost offended at him.

"This will only take a minute," Brodie mutters in a sidelong glance to his date. Ana manages a wavering nod and in a second, Brodie is dashing out of the office with a bundle of papers, leaving her alone in a room with his very handsome looking boss.

Immediately, Ana feels the electricity intensify tenfold as they stand there, eyes boring into each other as if challenging the other to make the first move. She can't help but be mesmerized by him, his very form is reeking of self-assurance and dominance. His smoldering gaze has her hooked on him like a drug; it takes everything within her not to instantly take a step toward him. But no, she won't.

But just as she thinks it, Grey takes the bold first step, closing the distance between them and instantly melting the tension inside of her. Yet, as she assumes he will stride right over to her, he stops along Brodie's desk and leans on it, folding his arms across his chest coolly.

"What's your name, Miss...?"

She clears her throat quietly, watching him as if her life depends on it. In a moment, though, she notices she is still staring and tears her gaze away. "Steele," she announces. "But Ana. Ana Steele." Her words are as pretty as her looks in his mind.

"Miss Steele," he says and she can't help her insides heat up at the way he says her name. It's seductive, enthralling, and enchanting all at once. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Her eyebrows furrow and he takes careful note of the way her lips pout in the same manner. His eyes are glued to her facial expression, especially the softness of her lips, he is resisting every urge in himself to walk over and touch her supple mouth, running his finger across her bottom lip and matching his own lips to hers. But quickly, he banishes those thoughts from his mind.

_She is not mine_, he reminds himself.

"Finally?" she questions.

"Yes, you're Mr. Lemmon's girlfriend. He's always talking about you. But it's nice to see you two back together‑"

"Wait, but, I just met him three days ago - this is our first date."

Grey blanches, straightening his seat in growing discomfort. "Oh," he says. "Forgive me, I just assumed you were...well, nevermind." He stand abruptly, never taking his eyes off of hers.

Ana suddenly looks down, nerves setting in as she bits her lip to hold in her confusion.

Lowly, Grey groans at just the sight of her. This is becoming too much for him to take, he tears himself away from her and walks toward the glass windows. "So where is your dinner reservation tonight?"

She thinks for a moment. "A French restaurant across town. That's what Brodie said. _Les_...or _Tres_...something."

"_Trois Trésors?_"

"Yes!" she beams. "That's the one, you know it?"

"Funny," is all he responds before the conversation lulls. The silence invades between them as the electricity creeps its way in again as well.

"So, what about you?" Ana says, walking up behind him. "You work here with Brodie?"

He scoffs, lips quirking up as he gazes into the blackened Seattle skyline. "Yes," he chuckles. "Yes, I do _work_ here."

She stands next to him now, looking out into the same picture he is seeing. "And what do you do here?"

"I own it."

Her eyes grow wide as she gapes at him now. "Oh, Ohh! Oh, god, sorry...I just thought...I don't know..." she trails.

"No, what did you think?"

"No, it's stupid. I just wasn't putting it together. I'm sorry, I just thought you were Mr. Grey's son or something. I didn't think someone your age - well, I mean, I thought. Nevermind." She mimics him from before, not feeling too guilty as now it seems their even for their outspoken and assuming comments.

"You assumed the Grey of _Grey Enterprises Holdings_ was older?"

Ana casts her eyes to the ground again. "...a little," she says, the statement sounding more like a question.

He chuckles calmly, a slow hand finding a home between her shoulder blades. Ana jumps slightly at the contact, hoping he doesn't notice. "Good view, isn't it?" She gives him a little nod. "I saw you admiring it before. You see the Space Needle, off to the side over here?" He points with his left hand as his right hand on her back suddenly trails lower. "You should come see it in _my_ office. The view there is impeccable. I can show you sometime..." His hand stops on her lower back and she feels her heart beating erratically. Instantaneously, he removes his hand and clasps it behind his own back with his other hand.

"I'd like that," she manages to find a voice and say.

"Good." The word from his lips is low, as if spoken in a thoughtful undertone.

"Ana?" Brodie's voice interrupts from the doorway. "I'm finished, are you ready?"

"Yes," she says, jumping away from Grey's side and joining Brodie by the door. She lifts her eyes back to his, giving him a solid look full of mystery. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Grey."

"Same here, Miss Steele. I hope to see you around again..._soon_."

The way he says the last word, has her breath heightening. But as Brodie clasps an arm around her waist, slowly she comes back to reality from her staring contest with Grey.

Brodie only gives a nod to his boss as he leads Ana back down the hallway. "I'm so sorry about that," he murmurs, pressing the button for the down elevator. "But hey, you met our stone-cold boss. What do you think of him?"

Ana shrugs. "Intense," is all she says when in reality, she can't get his piercing gaze out of her mind. There was something intriguing about him. Something making her want to pursue him, wanting to uncover all the subtext littered between his words, wanting to devote her time to him, and wanting to see just what she could show him.

Thus was the way with men. She saw his wandering eyes, she felt his hands combing down her back, she knew he felt it too. A part of her was growing, wanting to see just how far this could go.

Already in her mind, as the elevator takes them back to ground level, she is not enthralled in Brodie anymore, she is composing the next few lines of her soon-to-be newest writing endeavor: _Nice to meet you, where you've been? I could show you incredible things. Magic, madness, heaven, sin..._

Yet, Mr. Grey will have to wait. She doubts she will see him again, at least not for a very long time anyway. Besides, everything with Brodie could turn out well, and perhaps her meeting with Mr. Grey will only wind up as the prompt for her next novel idea? There is nothing worth getting excited over.

So when, the couple arrives at _Trois Trésors _and they are shown to their table, part of Ana is deftly surprised when she sees none other than those two piercing grey eyes walk through the front door of the very same restaurant.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Hey all! Sorry for taking awhile. I'm actually finding this story hard to write. And I greatly apologize for that. Well, I've finally got this all written, but I don't feel 100% in love with it. I really don't know what it is about this story, but I just don't find myself loving it so much. But maybe you guys do?_

_Nope. I don't know what it is, usually I love all my stories. Eh…well, thank you all for the support you've shown already. That is what encouraged me to get the next chapter up. So, let's hope you guys like it. And let me know what you think of the ending…that's the part I didn't know if I liked. _

_Thanks so much again!_

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><p>Blank Space<p>

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><p>Chapter 2:<p>

Wide eyed and with a mouth slightly ajar, she stares impassively as his noble grey eyes glide past their table to the other end of the restaurant.

"Isn't that your boss?" Ana whispers to Brodie as the taller man passes their table.

Brodie gives a wavering nod. "It is," he sighs. "God, what's he doing here?"

She lets out a low chuckle. "Who would've thought you both booked the same place for reservations. That's just weird." Ana's eyes follow to where Mr. Grey is led off to by the servers. He stops at a small booth in the back of the restaurant and sits down, facing Ana and Brodie's table. She hasn't realized that she is still staring at him even as he gives a brief nod to her.

"And awkward," Brodie mutters. Shaking his head slightly, he coughs, snapping Ana back into attention. "Whatever, it's not even like he's here, right? He's like a bee. If you don't bother it, it won't bother you."

"Funny way to describe someone."

"Seriously though, you don't want to get stung by this guy. It won't ever end well."

"And why's that?" she croons. "C'mon, what the worst he could do?"

"Blacklist you! I don't know..." Brodie is growing more agitated by the second. "Look, I don't really feel like talking about my boss right now. Can we just pretend he's not here? Alright? I thought we were on a date."

Ana's eyes go wide and she sits back in her seat, wholly stunned.

"Sorry," Brodie mutters. "I wasn't trying to upset you."

"No, you didn't. I just...nevermind. I shouldn't have been talking about him anyway."

Brodie rubs his chin, smirking. "I hope you're not turned off by first impressions." He shakes his head. "This is going like I planned at all."

Suddenly, a real smile comes back to Ana's features. "Don't be silly, it's alright. You're supposed to be nervous on a first date. I mean, they're always nerve-wracking." She clears her throat over the words. "Well, for me they are...not saying that they are for you...but like for me, I get nervous. Ah, I'm just making myself sound pretentious. I'm gonna shut up now."

Brodie chuckles under his breath. "You're adorable." He sighs. "How did I ever get so lucky meeting someone like you?"

"I'm sure if I answered that, I would just sound pretentious again." She flits another smile, relaxing in her seat.

"You're wonderful, Ana. Now did you pick out something so we can order?"

She glances back at the menu one final time. "Yup."

"Great." Brodie makes eye contact with a waitress and waves her over but a waiter holds up a hand, motioning him to wait. "Well, someone will come soon," he says. His eyes run over to Ana and his gaze lowers. "Um...I think you're dress is riding up."

Ana looks appalled and drops her eyes to her chest. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, just pull it down a little. The material is all bunched up."

With nervous eyes shifting around, Ana carefully shimmies her dress down, but it's so snug, it doesn't feel like it even moved. _What the heck is he talking about?_

"Just a little lower," he says again.

Ana adjusts the top part of her dress once again, face now reddening. Any lower and she might as well not be wearing a top at all. "Is it better?" she asks hopefully.

His eyes widen with a coy grin. "Much," he muses. "So...aside from writing what - "

"Hello," a sultry voice speaks, interrupting Brodie. This women has sleek red hair flowing down her back in a single ponytail. Her lips are dark red against a pale complexion which holds the most amused smirk imaginable. Her figure is stunning, Ana assumes she must be around 5'8'' without heels even on. When the waitress finally makes eye contact with Ana, her dark red lips form a scowl and she huffs just slightly. "My name is Alyssa, I'll be your server tonight." Her voice is low and methodical, likes she's practiced this hundreds of times - but she has, being a waitress and all - yet, her dictated and precise words seems forced, like she's hiding a hint of nervousness. "What can I get you to start?"

"Ana, honey?" Brodie says. "Why don't you go first?"

_Honey?! _What is this guy getting at? This is a first date, right?

But no matter how skeptical she was, Ana forced a smile to him and looked down to her menu. "Can I have the..._Beef Bourguignon_, please?" she asks, attempting her best to say the word in French.

"Ah, the _Bourguignon,_" Alyssa repeats perfectly. "Excellent choice. And for you, sir?"

Brodie leans on his elbows, resting his chin in his hand as he looks to the waitress. "I love what you've done with your hair."

She smirks to him with a discreet eye roll. "What would you like?"

"Mmm...The Red Snapper." He closes his menu and hands it to her. "And two more glasses of the Syrah for Ana and I, please."

"As you wish," she breathes before snatching the menu from Ana's hands and turning on her way. Brodie's eyes linger on the waitress even as she walks away.

Ana can't help but feel a bit intimidated by this Alyssa, but she shakes her head of the worries and smiles at Brodie. "So, you were saying..."

His eyes snap back to attention. "Right. I was asking what else you do? Besides writing...you know, do you have any other hobbies?"

She shrugs right as Brodie's eyes leave hers and travel back to the direction the waitress left. "Well, when I was little, my mom used to have me take dance lessons...but I seemed to grow out of that."

"How come?" he asks, still not looking at her.

"Just didn't like it much any more. I developed a real love for books and I always found myself in the library reading during school. I began to hate dance class - it wasn't like I was any good at it anyway, but my mom forced me to go until finally I told her off about it, you know, it was a funny story actually - "

"That's too bad," he says, looking back at her quickly.

She pauses, cocking her head to the side. "You mean because I stopped dancing?"

"Yup, right."

Ana, finally having enough of what was making him so distracted, turns her head to where he is looking. All she can see are many tables and patrons in front of her and a small hallway in the far back. There is nothing much that he could possibly be looking at. Then, she catches _his_ eyes again. She is startled as she forgot he was sitting there, and this time, he is blatantly staring back at her. Flushing, she turns her eyes back to Brodie.

"What are you staring at?" she finally questions him quietly.

Brodie shakes like a leaf suddenly, bringing himself from whatever reverie he was just in. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

"The waitress," she deadpans, "do you know her?"

Suddenly, Brodie flushes. "Nah, well I guess, I mean, we used to be exclusive."

Ana almost chokes on her spit. "And you call that 'I guess?'"

"Trust me, it's nothing important. But continue, you were telling a story?"

With a wary look, Ana finishes her story, feeling more like she is talking to a mirror rather than a man. He barely spares her a glance and he throws in a small comment every two minutes or so, but she knows his mind is elsewhere - but she just doesn't know _where_ exactly. The minutes turn into nearly a half hour and Ana wonders if it is going to be like this all night - with her talking to herself.

"Look, our food is coming," Brodie announces, cutting off Ana from whatever she was just talking about.

The same waitress from before walks up to their table and places each of their plates in front of them.

"Thank you," Ana says kindly.

But Alyssa only responds with a curt: "Hmph." Brodie inspects his food as Alyssa clasps her hands together, a broad smile across her face now. "Well, if that is all - "

"Wait," Brodie says. "I can't eat this. You put rosemary on it. I'm allergic to rosemary." He shakes his head. "There was no mention of rosemary in the menu."

Ana's eyes are wide as she watches the exchange. _Oh goodness, something else now to cause a scene, _she realizes. _This is going to be awkward._

"I'm sorry, sir," Alyssa replies. "I'll take it back to the kitchen right away." Eagerly, she picks up the plate and walks off.

Brodie sighs impatiently. "What are you looking at?" he snaps back at Ana. "Go ahead and eat."

She jumps back slightly, taken aback by his tone. "I'll wait for you. It's awkward eating alone." She runs her fingers over the napkin on her lap, smoothing it out meticulously. "I can wait, it's not a problem."

In response, Brodie just heaves another sigh and waits. This time, Ana doesn't bring up another subject to talk about. Their meal - or lack thereof - progresses on in silence. In another gauche fifteen minutes, Brodie pushes his seat back.

"I'm going to go see what is taking my meal so long. Yours is practically cold now," he says.

"But...um...you really think that's a good idea? They'll come back with it soon - "

"No. I'm going to go see. I don't care." He doesn't wait for a reply as he sheds the napkin from his lap and throws it on the table. "I'll be right back."

As he storms off, Ana is left alone - utterly alone - in the middle of a restaurant, on a first date with a cold meal in front of her. Her head falls into her hands on the table and she sighs. Quickly, though, she composes herself, fearing that her actions are making their own silent scene for the people sitting around her. God, why did all dates have to be weird for her? She hated this. There was always something. And even when she would overlook those little things, they always came back to bite her in the butt.

Relationships and Ana...they are equivalent to fire and gasoline.

Both destined to blow up and fail.

Ana leans back in her chair now as her eyes stare down the far hallway where Brodie last disappeared. As she looks for him through the mess of people, she catches those grey eyes as they similarly meet her gaze. Her breath stops for just a moment as she takes him in. He sits delicately with his own plate of food in front of him, nearly finished, and a glass of white wine. His eyes are enchanting, the sheer power of them radiating off like a glow. She can see what he's made of, she can see it in how the waiter constantly walks up to him and asks him about his food, and she can see it in how he stares at her, with no guilt in being caught, no embarrassment, no shame.

She can't say the same for her cheeks which are burning bright red under his gaze.

But oh, this man is something. There are a million words trapped behind his eyes alone and she doesn't want to take her eyes off of him. She can hear the words in her mind already: _Saw you there and I thought, Oh my God, look at that face..._

It is something like a pull between them - she feels it and she knows he does too. But she also knows better than to look at him for too long, she's on a date with Brodie, for goodness sake, she should not be making eyes with another man. This is just too much, so she tears her eyes away, feeling completely awkward now. But you know, on second thought, why doesn't she go to the bathroom? Yeah, it'll save from an awkward engagement. But should she leave the table? What if Brodie returns while she's away? Is that first date etiquette? What if he thinks she left him? Oh man, that will be a bigger mess than she needs. But then again, Brodie has been gone an awfully long time. And if she has to go to the bathroom, so be it.

She stands up, knowing _his_ eyes are still watching. But she doesn't spare him a glance as she brushes past his booth and down the far hallway - a little sign for _Les toilettes _point her in that direction. She passes the Men's room, rounding the corner and instantly, her heart drops.

Right in front of her is Brodie. A women's hands clawing all along, up and down his back, his face suction-cupped to hers, his hips grinding her into the wall. Ana can't see the woman's face, but she see that unmistaken dark red hair and she knows exactly what is going on.

Her heart burns.

The mere thought that he would do such a thing to her cracks her heart. She was nothing more than a toy to him - an object, used for the simple sake of making another jealous. She pities herself suddenly, sitting all by herself for the past twenty minutes as innocent as ever all while her date had his hands up the waitress's shirt. The pity of herself, the self-hatred for being so stupid, the regret for this night - that's what makes the tears prick her eyes. It's not a hurt for Brodie - he can burn in hell for all she cares - but the fact that she fell for his game, that is what hurts the most.

"Brodie," she says. Oh, she will make him feel the guilt for what he's done.

Like lightning, he jumps away from Alyssa, head spinning around, meeting her iced glare. "Ana..." he begins, holding out a hand as if to show his openness to explain. "Please...it's not - "

"Don't talk to me," she spits. "Screw you..._and_ her for all I care. We're done."

She turns around, stomping off even as Brodie calls her name. But he only takes two steps after her - then no more. He won't chase her and she knows that. She was never what he wanted anyway.

"Ana," a voice says.

"Go away," she hisses, not even bothering to see who the voice belongs to. She doesn't want to talk to Brodie, she won't fall for his weak attempts to change things, she won't fall for his game.

The patrons in the restaurant are staring at her rush out of the restaurant in a fit of oncoming tears. She hastily grabs her purse from her chair and takes off once again. Feet are treading behind her, but she's running to escape it - she doesn't even care about her untouched meal now, she won't pay for it, she's never coming back here again.

The cool night air hits her like a truck as she barricades the door open. It is only when she is briskly halfway down the sidewalk that a hand catches her arm.

"Ana," a gentle voice says.

She turns up to see who the hand and the voice belong to and she should've saw it coming. She should've known. It's those wonderful eyes that have captured her soul. He is looking at her, calm and collected, not a wrinkle on his pristine suit.

"What do you want?" she finally finds the words to utter, but they come out cold and harsh.

He looks down suddenly, just for a brief moment, and she can't see his eyes anymore and she realizes how much she doesn't like that. "I just...I saw what happened in there," he begins.

"Oh? You saw? Well, thanks, I don't really need to be reminded of the event." She turns and walks off, but he grabs her again.

"Well, yes, I saw. It doesn't really take a rocket scientist to put it all together. I _heard_ them from my seat."

"Well, then if you saw me going towards them, why didn't you stop me?" She sloppily brushes away a stray tear, gulping in a breath of air and hardening her eyes once again.

He pulls back appalled. "You're mad that I didn't stop you? Would you really have been okay with him lying to you then?"

Ana looks down to the ground, this time at a loss for words.

"Everyone prefers the truth," he breathes knowingly. He takes a step beside her as ushers her into step with him. "C'mon," he says in a calm, cajoling tone. "Perhaps we can still salvage your night."

Immediately, Ana jerks out of his grasp. "No, okay? I'm not going anywhere with you, I don't even know you. I want to go home." She regrets the words coming out of her mouth, she knows how much he has captured her just from his eyes already, but she's too distraught to want to do anything with him right now. All she wants is to go home and lie in bed with a bottle of wine and a tub of ice cream. She wants to tell Kate about this night, tell her how Brodie was just another mistake and laugh about him until she passes out from exhaustion. That's all she needs right now - not some knight here to pick up her bruised heart.

He stands stunned for just a moment before his calm demeanor casts over him again as a shadow. "I thought you recognized me from before. Forgive me, I'm Mr. Grey."

"No, I know that," she snaps. "I know who you are but I don't _know_ you. And I'm really not in the mood to go anywhere with you right now. So if you'll excuse me." Ana pushes onward and continues walking down the sidewalk.

He is right on her again, keeping up with her swift pace. "My apologies again, Miss Steele. I wasn't intending for anything like that. It's just that I know Mr. Lemmon, I know how he treats women - "

"So what?" she flares. "You just go around picking up his garbage? God..."

"Miss Steele, I assure you, it's nothing like that." Man, this girl is infuriating. He has never met one with such a headstrong personality before. Goodness, the things he'd like to do to her to calm that wrath of hers. But he is beginning to think that maybe it is due to her emotional situation right now more so than just her actual personality...so, he will let it go for now. He can play the hero, there is never any harm in that.

"I don't need a rebound guy right now, okay? You can just leave me alone."

His face falls for just a second, almost about to admit defeat when he realizes there is still one more thing to try. "At least let me walk you to your car? It's not safe out this time of night. Especially alone."

"What? You think I can't take care of myself?"

His jaw sets and he cringes at her words. If she keeps this up...

"I trust you can, but you have to understand, I could never forgive myself if I at least didn't walk you to your car."

She heaves a sigh, stopping short. "Brodie drove me," she says, suddenly remembering. "I'm gonna have to walk, I guess..." she mutters as her feet begin walking again.

"No, Ana," he says, catching up to her once again. "I can't let you walk home alone."

Ana rolls her eyes and he has to resist that growing urge inside of him. "Why not? I'll get home eventually. Thank you very much for your consideration, but honestly, I don't need it."

"Please, my driver is on stand-by, he can be here shortly. I can have him drive you home."

Ana turns around abruptly, and stares into his deep grey eyes. "I'll take my chances walking."

In one bold step forward, he narrows his eyes and glares at her. "Let me."

Instantly, her boldness wanes away and her breath catches in her throat. He is standing so close to her, it's almost unbearable. She shakes her head and then she hears it, one small word from him.

"Please."

She almost melts at that little word. And she stares at him, eyes wide. "Fine," she huffs. At least she'll get a free ride out of tonight - if that's the only good thing she can take away. She isn't happy about it, but she folds her arms across her chest and doesn't walk any farther.

He pulls his phone out from his inside suit pocket and taps in a number. "Taylor? I'm ready, you can come pick me up. There will be someone else I need you to drop off for me as well...Very good. Thank you." Hanging up the phone, he deposits it back into his breast pocket. "Thank you," he says quietly to Ana. "See? That wasn't so bad. I don't see why you're so adamant about refusing help."

She unfolds her arms in vexation. "And I don't see why you're so adamant about driving me home. I don't even know you!"

"Well, we could change that, couldn't we?"

Her eyes dilate, standing astonished. "I don't know what you're getting at, Mr. Grey - "

"Look," he starts, turning his whole body to face her, finally sighing in defeat. "In all honesty, I feel bad. I know this is none of my business - "

"Exactly."

He ignores her, sucking a very deep breath. "But Mr. Lemmon is my employee, I knew about his on and off again relationship with his girlfriend and somehow I feel like this is my fault for not warning you earlier this evening. I had the perfect opportunity to say something to you, but I didn't. I would just like to do something to make this up to you. No one deserves to be treated the way you were tonight."

"So, this isn't about you just trying to get an easy rebound?" she nearly smirks.

He pauses. _Perhaps it will work out that way, _he internally catches himself saying. "Of course not," he says aloud. "But I know you didn't eat tonight, you must be starving. I can take you somewhere to get food. And I didn't get to finish my entire meal...what do you say?"

Ana reluctantly looks to the ground under his potent gaze. "I still want to go home."

He holds his hands up in show of vanquish. "Then I'll take you home and that's it. You have my word."

A smile finds it way onto her lips all of a sudden. Right then, a black Audi SUV pulls up along the curb in front of them and the ominous sound of the doors unlocking is heard. He walks up to the car, leaving Ana to assume this is his driver's car, and opens the heavy backseat door politely, gesturing for her to get in.

She pauses before stepping inside. "Thank you, Mr. Grey." She pauses in contemplation. "Thank you," she says again, meaning it fully.

"Please, call me Christian."

The smile on her face turns into a smirk as he grabs her hand and helps her up. _Oh this is it,_ she can't help but think. She knows exactly what this all means.

_You look like my next mistake..._


End file.
